Creston Electric Instruments
Encyclopedia
Based in Burlington, Vermont
, Creston Electric Instruments produces vintage-style custom solid body and chambered electric guitar
s and basses. Known to players as "Crestons", these guitars are sometimes made using unconventional woods for bodies such as Sugar Pine
and Hickory
. Life-long musician and master carpenter, founder Creston Lea combined two passions to create Creston Electric Instruments in 2004 after several years of repairing and producing guitars in Burlington, VT. Creston Guitars are played by several notable musicians in the alt-country, country, blues and rock genre. Crestons have been made from centuries-old barn beams, spare instrument parts from customers, and common lumber yard 2x12 planks. While customers can specify unorthodox materials, many choose traditional hardwoods for solid body guitars such as ash, poplar, mahogany and basswood.
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Creston Electric Instruments produces vintage-style custom solid body and chambered electric guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and basses. Known to players as "Crestons", these guitars are sometimes made using unconventional woods for bodies such as Sugar Pine
Sugar Pine
Pinus lambertiana, commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine, is the tallest and most massive pine, with the longest cones of any conifer...
and Hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
. Life-long musician and master carpenter, founder Creston Lea combined two passions to create Creston Electric Instruments in 2004 after several years of repairing and producing guitars in Burlington, VT. Creston Guitars are played by several notable musicians in the alt-country, country, blues and rock genre. Crestons have been made from centuries-old barn beams, spare instrument parts from customers, and common lumber yard 2x12 planks. While customers can specify unorthodox materials, many choose traditional hardwoods for solid body guitars such as ash, poplar, mahogany and basswood.
Notable players
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– Jay FarrarJay FarrarJay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001...
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- Keith Voegele – The Bottle RocketsThe Bottle RocketsThe Bottle Rockets are an American rock band formed in 1992, currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. The founding members are Brian Henneman , Mark Ortmann , Tom Parr and Tom Ray . Current members are Henneman, Ortmann, John Horton and Keith Voegele...
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, Joe HenryJoe HenryJoseph Lee "Joe" Henry is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Henry's musical style spans several genres, including alt. country, rock, jazz and folk.- Early years :...
, Richard BucknerRichard BucknerRichard Buckner is an American singer-songwriter born in California. After living in Edmonton, Alberta for a number of years, he currently resides in Brooklyn, NY...
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– The Mother HipsThe Mother Hips-Formation and Debut:Tim Bluhm , Greg Loiacono , Isaac Parsons and Mike Wofchuck met in 1990 while attending California State University-Chico, living off campus in Bradley Hall... - Noah Crowther - "Waylon Speed"
- MC Taylor – The Court & SparkThe Court & SparkThe Court & Spark was a San Francisco-based indie rock band formed in the spring of 1998 around the nucleus of Scott Hirsch, Alex Stimmel, James Kim, and lead vocalist M.C. Taylor...
- Gabrielle Douglas – The Cush
- Zack Hickman – Josh RitterJosh RitterJosh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
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, - Tao Rodriguez-SeegerTao Rodríguez-SeegerTao Rodríguez-Seeger is an American contemporary folk musician. He plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, and sings in Spanish and in English. He is known as a founder of The Mammals and is the grandson of folk musician Pete Seeger....
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– The EvensThe EvensThe Evens are a Washington, D.C. indie-rock duo, formed in the fall of 2001, comprising partners Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina...
, Fugazi, Minor ThreatMinor ThreatMinor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and... - Jimmy RyanJimmy RyanJimmy Ryan may refer to:* Jimmy Ryan , 19th-century baseball player* Jimmy Ryan , mandolin player* Jimmy Ryan , former football player, currently the Director of Youth Football at Manchester United F.C....
– Self, Blood OrangesBlood OrangesThe Blood Oranges were an alternative country band that formed in the late 1980s.The founding members were Jim Ryan , Cheri Knight , Mark Spencer , and Ron Ward . Between 1990 and 1994 they released two full albums and one EP...
, Laura CantrellLaura CantrellLaura Cantrell is a country singer-songwriter and DJ from Nashville, Tennessee. She used to present a weekly country and old-time music radio show on WFMU in New Jersey called The Radio Thrift Shop...
, MorphineMorphineMorphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
, Catie CurtisCatie CurtisCatie Curtis is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, indie and folk. She has recorded 11 CDs. The most recent, Stretch Limousine On Fire, will be released in August 2011 on Compass Records.-Early life:Catie...
, Warren ZevonWarren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known... - Jaleel Bunton – TV On The RadioTV on the RadioTV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
- Jeph JacquesJeph JacquesJeph Jacques writes and illustrates the webcomic Questionable Content. He was born in Rockville, Maryland, and graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in music...
- (cartoonist) Deathmøle - James Walbourne – The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
, The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Pernice Brothers, Linda ThompsonLinda ThompsonLinda Diane Thompson is an American actress, lyricist and beauty pageant winner who rose to international fame as Elvis Presley's long time girlfriend after he separated from his wife.-Pageants:... - Jay FarrarJay FarrarJay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001...
- Son VoltSon VoltSon Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo.-History:The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and...
, Uncle TupeloUncle TupeloUncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
, Gob IronGob IronGob Iron is an American musical group officially formed in 2006. It consists of Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt's Jay Farrar and Varnaline's Anders Parker. Their debut album, Death Songs For The Living was released on October 31, 2006 by Transmit Sound/Legacy Recordings... - Marco PirroniMarco PirroniMarco Francesco Andrea Pirroni is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer...
- Adam AntAdam AntAdam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
, Adam and the AntsAdam and the AntsAdam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
, Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, Siouxsie and the Banshees - Chad UrmstonChad UrmstonChad Stokes Urmston is an American musician. Urmston was a member of the band Hermit Thrush which later gave birth to the band Dispatch. He is the frontman for the Sherborn, Massachusetts-area band State Radio, as well as a constant activist for improved living conditions in Zimbabwe...
- State RadioState RadioState Radio is an alternative rock band from Sherborn, Massachusetts, consisting of Chad Urmston , Chuck Fay and Mike Najarian...
, Dispatch (band)Dispatch (band)Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston .... - Adam AntAdam AntAdam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
- Adam AntAdam AntAdam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
, Adam and the AntsAdam and the AntsAdam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era... - Will JohnsonWill JohnsonWilliam "Will" Johnson is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the Canada national soccer team.-Youth:...
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